Toaster



K. EHRGOTT TOASTEB Filed Oct. 16, 1936 INVENTOR Afa/'Z Efyazz.

` ATTbRNEY WITNE@ Sept. 5, 1939.

I Patented Sept, 5, ,1939

UNrraD *STATESl TOASTEB Karl Ehrgott.-Wilkinsbur, Pa., assignor to Westl inghouse Electric t Manufacturing Company,

East Pittsburgh, Pa., ya.

Sylvania corporation of ,Penn- Appucannn october 1e, 193e, serial No. 105,905

My invention 'relates to-toasters and more particularly to conveyor type toasters.

Inv order to obtain properly toasted bread, due

to variations in bread moisture, age and sugar content, it is necessary to vary either thetoasting heat or the length of\ time the breadls subjected to such heat. Neither of these vmethods of adjustment is possible from a practical view in large ters the toasting oven.

" oven, a source of heat therefor, and means such 4 ras skeleton type conveyor for disposing bread within the toasting oven, a hoodnwhl'ch is placed 35 nected in any suitable manner to the power supstructure shown ix Fig. 1. A

continuous toasters, becausel of the inability Aof an-operator to readily ascertain the doneness of the :bread until iti: has been `removed from the toasting oven.

It is, therefore, anv

objectJ of my invention toI provide means whereby a toaster maybe easily and readilyaijusted to produce toast of any sired doneness, and will continue to makesuch toast from'the original setting chosen by -the operator. Y

A further object of my invention is to provide means for preprocessing the bread `before it en- JA further object of my invention is to provide means for deectingthe Vradiated heat from the toastingoven backl upon the fresh or untoasted bread before it is placed within the 'toasting oven. 'Other objects of my invention will either be pointed out speciiically inthe course-of the following` description of one form of a device embodyingmy invention or will be-apparent from such description. fj

- In practicing my invention, I provide, in combination wtth a toaster, comprising a toasting upon the toaster in such a manner as to deflectl the radiated heat from thevtoast'ing oyen upon the fresh bread so as to .preprocs it before entering therein. t

In the accompanying drawing; Y Figure 1 is a front elevational partial view of ya toasterand hood embodying my invention, and- Flg. 2 is `a partial side sectional view of the Referring te Figs. 1 and 2, I show a conveyor type toaster II having a hood I placed over its structure. It is to be understood that'this toaster per se is not lclaimed in my vapplication andthat any toaster may serve the purposeA Skeleton conveyor 2 is composed of chain 3 having thereon a plurality of baskets 4 and4a. Baskets 4 and 4a are attached to chain 3 by brackets 5 or in any othensuitable manner. Conveyor 2 is driven by a`ny suitable prime lmover suchas a motor e and voperatively -associated belt 1.

4'l (Cl. 53-5) lelements I2 associated therewith. Heat may be supplied to the radiant heating elements I2 by electricity, gas, or any other 'suitable means- The` conveyor 2 is interposed within thel toasting oven I so that baskets 4 and 4a. are at an equal distance from the radiant 4heating elements I2.

An irregular shaped semi-cylindrical hood I, which may be hollow, is .attached to ,back panel 8 of toaster. II at 9 in any convenient manner.

y 'I'he hood I may have a thermally-non-absorbing vsurface I3 upon'its innermost side and a thermally insulating material I4, preferably rock wool, within the hollow Yportion thereof. 1 The insulated sides I of toaster II are extended some- I what above the main toaster structure and form the ends of the hood I, this forming a preprocessing chamber oroven I6.

I desire it to .be understood that hood I may structure or integrally.

Hood I functions as a ue and as a retainer of the heated atmosphere rising from` the toasting oven I0 and accordingly supplies heat necessary y forthe functioning of the preprocessing 'chamber or oven I6. Chamber I 6 preprocesses the untoasted bread by ,drying and absorbing moisture therefrom. Therefore,regardless of bread age,

" moisture or sugar content, 'the preprocessing chamber or oven I6 delivers bread of the same quality or degree of doneness to the toasting oven.

In the operation of the machine, the motor 6 isy started and the electrical yheaters I2 are con-- ply, vnot shown. Bread is then placed upon the skeleton baskets 4a which are in an open and uncovered position directly in front of the ma- -chine and upon each succeeding basket which l"basket into the toasting oven Ill. Since thebaskets 4 and 4a located upon chain 3 are equally distant from the radiant electric heaters I2, both sides of the bread placed Within the baskets will be toasted to an even doneness,

As the conveyor continues on through the toasting oven, thus permitting the bread placed Athereon to be toastedthe baskets eventually emerge from said toasting oven. Then as the baskets 4 and 4a reach the lowermost point of their travel, the brackets 5 attached at the then lower end of the baskets proceed on with the chain swinging the baskets rapidly in a. wide arc to .a

' the baskets, it contacts a'chute i1 which permits i.

horizontal position whereupon the toast is permitted to fall therefrom. As the toast falls from the bread and obtain toast of the same doneness regardless of 'the agev or quality of the bread placed within the toaster.

, I desire it tobe understood that my invention may be usedv with anystandard type toaster,

known to the art regardless as to whether or not it be automatic in its operation. or whether or not it might have the conveyor as the interposingv means for inserting the bread within the toasting' region; and, therefore,- I wish it to be understood that various modications may be made in the device embodied in my invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and I desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art andthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention: e

1. In combination, a toaster having a toasting region, a source of heat therefor, means for disposing bread within said toasting region. andl means comprising a hood placed over and substantially completely enclosing the upper part ot said toaster for downwardly deecting the-heated air from the toasting region back over the untoasted bread whereby it is dried before entering l the toasting region.

2. In combination-a toaster having a toasting region, a source of heat therefor, means comprising a conveyor for disposing bread within said toasting region, and means comprising a .hood placed over said toaster for collecting the rising column of heated air from the toasting region and deiiecting it downwardly 'over the untoasted bread for'pr'eheating it before entering the toasting region.

3. In combination, a toaster having a toasting region, a source of heat therefor vcomprising. radiant heaters upon the sides of said toasting region,

means for disposing bread within said toasting region. and means comprising a hood placed over said toaster for collecting the entire rising co1- umn of `,heated air from the toasting region and deilecting it downwardly over the untoasted bread for preheating it before entering the toasting 15681011. f t

4. In combination, a toaster having a 'toasting region, a source of heat therefor, means for disposing bread within the toasting region, and means comprising a hood placed over and substantially completely enclosing the upper part of -said toaster for deecting the heated air from the toasting region back -over the disposing means whereby bread placed upon the disposing means is ilrst disposed within a heated atmosphere where it is dried and then is disposed within the toasting region where the bread is toasted.

5. In combination, a toaster having a toasting ing a conveyor for disposing bread within the toasting region, and means comprising ahood placed over and substantially completely enclosing the upper part of said toaster for downwardly dilecting the rising column of heated air from the toasting region back over ,the conveyor where-v ing a continuous conveyor for disposing bread within the toasting region, means comprising a hood placed. over and substantially completely enclosing the upper part of said toaster for down# wardly deflecting the rising column of heated air I from thetoastlng region back over the conveyor whereby bread placed upon the conveyor is irst disposed within a heated atmospherefwhere it is dried and then is dispod within vthe toasting region where thebread is toasted, whereby different pieces of bread on said conveyor are simultaneoxsly dried and toasted.

. '1. In combination, a toaster having a toasting region, a source of heat therefor, means for disposing bread within the toasting region, means comprising a hood placed upon said toaster for collecting the heated air from the toastingregion and deecting it back over the disposing means whereby bread placed upon the disposing means' is first .disposed within a heated atmosphere where it is driedl and then is disposed within the toasting region where the bread is toasted, whereby dlilerent pieces of bread onsaid conveyor are simultaneously predriedfand toasted.

KARLEHRGO'I'I".

region, a source of heat therefor, means comprisn 

